Halo: Return to Sender
by unevenElephant
Summary: Meeting a legend is one thing, hunting them is another. Stranded on Genesis Fireteam Osiris and Blue Team are pushed to come to terms with one another as they make their way back Sanghelios to meet up with some old friends. An expansion of the early events in Halo: Bad Blood.
1. Genesis

**AN:** C&Cs welcome

* * *

 **1838 Hours, October 28, 2558 (Military Calendar)\**

 **Forerunner Planet Genesis, Nomos II System**

 **Function: Gateway to the Domain**

* * *

FIRETEAM Osiris approached the cryptum guns drawn. The massive metallic Forerunner sphere hummed and pulsed with a brilliant blue light.

"Your companions are there, I will free them," 031 Exuberant Witness chimed as her round body floated overhead to meet the dozens of sentinels that hovered around the sphere.

SPARTAN Buck thumbed the safety of his weapon, "I wouldn't exactly say they're our companions."

"We may not be friends, but we're on the same side. They don't have to do this alone, they don't have to fight her alone," SPARTAN Locke, team leader, answered lowering his weapon.

"Ya well tell that to the Master Chief when he decides to deck you for the second time," Buck jeered earning a small chuckle from his squadmates. In all seriousness Buck didn't care to go toe to toe with the rest of Blue Team anymore than he did the Master Chief, they were the original Spartans -the best of the best. Trained since childhood to become the most effective killing machines the UNSC had ever seen, even the covenant feared them granting them the title of Demon.

"He has a point, we didn't exactly part on the best of terms," SPARTAN Tanaka added. The sentinel beams sparked then broke through the outer casing of the cryptum.

"I know, but we're here to help them now. I don't want them seeing us as a threat; stand down Osiris," his command was simple and they did as he said without further question. Buck wasn't sure if it was a good idea but he trusted Locke- hell, he trusted Osiris they were the best team he ever had the pleasure of serving with.

A triumphant, "There!" came from the monitor, her purple floating eye brightening with the success of her cracking the sphere.

The Cryptum 's metallic door gave way with a sigh, melting until only the blue energy barrier remained. The light so bright it was blinding. There was a brief moment before four large armor clad figures emerged as if walking through a wall of flowing water.

Locke approached Blue Team removing his helmet. The rest of Osiris tensed as their leader made himself vulnerable to the rouge Spartans before him. He stepped with purpose. Unafraid to look the people he had been hunting in the eye. The Master Chief SPARTAN 117-John- moved to meet him halfway as the rest of Blue Team hung back, "Where's Cortana?" his deep gravelly voice, normally commanding, was now solemn.

Locke gazed up to meet the man's visor, "She's gone, sir."

Buck stood between Vale and Tanaka. They were undoubtedly using their enhanced hearing to listen in on the brief exchange just like he was. There was hardly a pause before the Master Chief rallied his team, "We have to get back to UNSC space, but first we need weapons."

Locke nodded, "Agreed, we're black on ammo."

"Uh, we're black on just about everything how are we getting out of here?" Buck cut in gesturing to the planet that encased them.

Locke simply looked to Exuberant Witness, "Saw some ships come through with the Guardians. You think you can find us a ride?"

She beamed, her casis rocking back and forth with glee, "I would be happy to assist you! There are weapons in a nearby crashed ship. I believe it is one of your own. Make your way...here," a blue marker appeared on their HUDs, "I will find you a ship that will fit your needs while you secure weapons-oh this is quite exciting!," she finished in her sing-song voice before flying away.

Blue Team was already on the move making their way back into the Forerunner tower; Locke was close on their heels, "Osiris on me."

The two fireteams moved silently down the grandiose corridor-despite their weighty MJOLNIR armor. Locke took point beside the Master Chief, the respective members of each team moving in column formation behind them. Colossal machines turned, sending power throughout the artificial planet all around them. The gears and pistons lay hidden behind the massive silver panels, their steady thrum filling the lightless hall. Those hums were the only thing left of those who came before. Forerunners. Ghosts.

The SPARTAN 117 froze throwing a fist up over his shoulder. They froze. John gave a slight shake of his head. Buck caught the visor of Vale who cocked her head in confusion. Locke remained still looking to the Master Chief who turned off his helmet lights- the Spartans followed suit. He made a small gesture with his right hand so fast that - Buck, even with his SPARTAN augmentations- almost missed it. Blue Team, however, did not. SPARTAN 104, Frederic, drew one of his combat knives and melted into the shadows with the rest of Blue Team- like they'd never been there in the first place.

The Chief's gruff voice broke over comms, "Small Covenant patrol, twelve o'clock." He then tapped the mouthpiece of his helmet and made a cut-throat gesture: he was going radio silent.

Osiris leveled their weapons down the corridor and watched as the Master Chief disappeared just as his teammates did before him.

"Uh, did they just leave us here?" Buck said looking to his ammo counter, 43 rounds- it had better be a very small patrol.

Half a beat passed before the unmistakable sound of grunts snorting their methane filled tanks drifted down the chamber, punctuated with the rough garble of Sangheili voices.

"Get to cover," Locke ordered taking up positions behind columns that jutted out from the sleek glass-like walls.

"I've got Blue Team on sensors, they're still here," Tanaka said over their own private channel.

"We've got more than just them. I'm counting 12 covies standard formation - little ones up front big boys in the back," Buck responded.

"Any idea what their saying Vale?" Locke asked.

Their resident Sangheili expert gave a soft hum, "They seem lost, must have been pulled in with one of the Guardians; like us. The Elites are arguing over which way they should be going."

Locke leveled his battle rifle. Muzzle tracking the covenant troops, "Osiris, wait 'till they come to us."

When Buck was an ODST he hated being caught in a pitch black room with covies, nothing good ever came of it, but now with his SPARTAN augmentations, he could clearly see the patrol move closer. Grunts staggered forward with their stubby legs while Jackals drew close behind- their full body shields on display cast a light blue hue over the aliens. Both Elites walked side by side clad in purple armor, one moved with its arm extended holding a holo-map while the other shook his head miserably.

Locke spoke over TEAMCOMM, "On my mark-" before he could finish SPARTAN 104 slipped from cover and rushed the leader of the unit. His armored fist smashed into the Majors face shattering his shields. He followed up by driving his knife deep into the alien's side- the Elite fell to one knee clutching his wound a, blue blood seeping through his fingers. The Major gave a defiant roar, mandibles split open, rage willed him to live longer but to no avail; Fred bore down on him slitting his throat ear to ear.

Everyone was still as the rest of the patrol staggered back in surprise at their dead leader's body.

SPARTAN 104 turned on the Grunts and they scattered, "Demon! Run!"

Panic filled the room as SPARTAN 058, Linda, charged the second Elite. In one swift move she disarmed him breaking his arm- bone punctured skin and the warrior howled in pain before being silenced by his own weapon. SPARTAN 087 -Kelly- and the Master Chief leapt into action, armored legs pounded the metal floor as they dispatched the rest of the troops with a fluidity that made them look more like dance partners than soldiers. They ducked, weaved and annihilated everything in their path. The sound of crushed bones and strangled cries was all that was left in their wake.

One grunt ran, waving his hands in the air as he made for the exit. Tanaka released a short controlled burst and the Unggoy crumpled to the ground while Osiris moved from cover.

"Gear up, take what you can for now," the Master Chief barked. Osiris took up a defensive position around Blue Team, covering the exit, as they set out redistributing what little they could salvage.

Bucked watched Fred take the carbine from the leader's twitching body, wiping away some blood before removing the ammo clip, examining it, then popping it back into place. He gave a short shake of the head to Linda who threw down her empty weapon and picked up a needler from a dead Jackal then placed herself between the two teams as if she was guarding something. From what he could tell she was more distant and weary of Osiris than the rest of Blue Team and he was pretty sure that she was keeping a close eye on them-it was hard to know what she was really looking at with all those damn scopes. The shortest of Blue Team, Kelly tapped the underside of her new plasma pistol making a thumbs down gesture then turned her helmet to the members of Osiris and again back to the Master Chief.

Tanaka's voice broke over TEAMCOMM, "What are they doing?" She tilted her head in Blue Teams direction.

"Gathering weapons," Buck said casting a glance over his shoulder at the larger Spartans.

"Not what I meant," she admonished, "Look, they won't turn their backs on us, and they keep making signals to each other."

Without taking her eyes off the dark hall Vale responded, "I think they're talking. They've been doing that since we linked up."

Buck head cocked to the side, "Talking, about what?"

"About us," Locke cut in.

Osiris turned to face the other Spartans only to find them staring right back, weapons in hand. The Master Chief took two long strides breaking away from his team but stopped short before crossing the invisible line drawn between the two teams.

"Didn't have much on them-" John said pointing his storm rifle at the bodies that littered the floor- "What's your status?"

"We're green, sir-"

A deep rumble rolled like thunder down the hall, violently shaking the chamber all around them. They all paused taking a minute to assess their surroundings, then another quake shook the room.

"What is that?" Vale said watching the pointed spires on the ceiling sway.

"Unknown," Buck said. The frequency of the tremors was increasing, rapidly, " but we'd better get out of here."

SPARTAN 117s rough voice broke over comms, "Agreed, double-time it Spartans." The two teams broke into a sprint, boots hammered against the trembling floor.

* * *

 **AN:** My goal is to explore the relationship between Fireteam Osiris and Blue Team along with the events that will allow them to 'bond'. I'm trying to stay as true to canon as possible with a little creative leeway. Anyways, comments and critiques are always welcome I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Thanks for reading!  
~Sorry for spelling and grammar mistakes. I need an editor.~

NOTE: Original art by Darren Bacon - artwork/4NQeY | Edited by me. Original story: Halo Bad Blood by Matt Forbeck


	2. Long Haul

**AN:** So this chapter had to be split in two because it got so long. It's still a bit long. Consider yourself warned. C&Cs welcome.

* * *

 **1920 Hours, October 28, 2558 (Military Calendar)\**

 **Forerunner Planet Genesis, Nomos II System**

 **Function: Gateway to the Domain**

* * *

"Well, there goes another one," Buck huffed staring up at the enormous Forerunner construct.

The Guardians droning melody shook everything for miles; it released a burst of energy tearing a hole in the sky that its segmented body sunk into piece by piece.

Buck's HUD flickered and waned as his armor tried to stabilize itself against the power surge.

"Wonder-" Tanaka breathless, ran beside Buck and he noted the slight limp on her left side, "-where it's going."

Locke kept pace beside her, "Nowhere good."

That was an understatement. Guardians served security and enforcement roles during the Forerunners rein- policing lower systems bring peace by whatever means necessary. Buck had a feeling that those means weren't always friendly and Cortana made it clear that whoever stepped out of line would suffer the consequences. After having already fought the Covenant for the past 30 years humanities numbers and resources were down considerably- they had just started to bounce back and would be ill prepared for the imminent attack. It was selfish but he hoped Veronica, his on again girlfriend, would be far from the front when they got hit.

Linda's voice broke over comms, "Weapons cache in sight." Her voice was cool, tranquil, nothing like what he was expecting- in truth Buck didn't know what to expect, none of them had said a word aside from the Master Chief.

The two teams stopped at the crest of a hill that ushered them into a shallow valley where a destroyed frigate lay scattered amongst the dead foliage. The hull of the ship had been ripped into two large pieces- UNSC Long Haul was written across its side in bold sleek letters. She'd definitely seen better days.

Looking at the wreck it was clear that the ship crashed recently. Flames engulfed its port side and chunks of the surrounding escarpment were still crumbling from their run in with the warship.

SPARTAN 117 started towards the wreck, "Let's get down there Spartans."

Kelly overtook them with ease scouting ahead as nothing but a white blur. Buck wasn't near sprinting, but running over 30 kpm for an extended period of time took its toll, and he was sure even if he hit his top speed he wouldn't be able to touch her-it was humbling. He could think of a few soldiers that could do with some humbling, especially with how they treated the IIs and IIIs. He knew what was said, hell he'd even said some of the stuff himself.

Some thought Spartans were just glory hounds, others thought they were sociopaths. Early in the war rumors circulated about a kid who took on four ODSTs, two died the other two were put out of commision- permanently. That was the first he ever heard of the Spartan program and it didn't leave a good taste in his mouth. It would have been a II that did the damage and he wondered if that particular Spartan made it through the war. They could be dead for all he knew. An unsettling thought crossed his mind as he watched Blue Team run ahead of him- they could be right in front of him.

It didn't take long for the two teams to make their way to the base of the ship. Standing at the mouth of the gaping hole really put its size into perspective, it had to be over 200ft easy. The marker on his HUD showed the weapons cache was down in the darkest pit of the ship.

"Is it safe to go in there?" Vale said peering past the hanging wires and twisted steel.

"Exuberant wouldn't send us here otherwise," Locke reasoned.

"Mhm, you sure she's all there? Seems a bit too enthusiastic to me," Buck didn't know much about Forerunner A.I. but if one of the UNSCs A.I. started acting squirrely they would retire it-or was it them?

"Might be rampancy," the Master Chief interjected, "Guilty Spark was the same. Monitors are happy to help when it lets them fulfill their basic function. As long as their installation is not under threat, they aren't a threat..." He seemed distracted by his own thoughts. Buck had no doubt that if they managed to peel that helmet off him they would be met with a thousand yard stare. He'd seen it before, lots of guys had it-some never came out of it.

SPARTAN 117 snapped back to attention half a second later, "Blue-two, four, keep an eye out for us while we get the weapons," he said, all business, "Blue-three, you're with me." Green acknowledgment lights winked along their HUDs.

Locke turned to his team, "Tanaka, Buck stay with them; Vale we're going in," he then looked to the Master Chief who nodded in return.

The Spartans clambered into the ship while the rest moved into a more defensible position. Sheets of the ship's hull stood upright buried deep in the ground and provided decent cover; the slightly raised ground provided a decent view of the valley before them.

They dug in and waited. Buck tossed a glance over to the other Spartans. The two woman stood stock still. They didn't twitch or fidget like most guys did when they were left to watch the back door. He had worked with IIs before but was too busy trying to save his and his team's ass to really take them in. They were all Spartans, the same class of soldier, yet somehow he still felt like they were miles apart. He understood why everyone thought they were machines, the way they spoke, fought, even just moved was-detached.

Conscious of his starring Buck directed his gaze to the valley where bits of ship poked out from the ground. He wondered if anyone had made it. Frigates were meant for one of two things - protection of other ships or deployment of ground forces - either way, this ship would have be full of good men and woman who died simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time when the Guardian decided to take off. Then again that was the nature of war. It was just a shame that they had finished one war only to dive back into another not even a full 5 years later. A wave of anger rushed through Buck as he realized that these people wouldn't have even known what hit them- what they died for. He was sure their families would never really know either.

A brisk movement caught his eye, he half turned ready to attack only to find SPARTAN 058 rolling her shoulder in small tight circles.

"How many Forerunner planets do you think there are?" Tanaka asked shifting her weight next to him.

"Who knows," he shrugged his shoulders, "Forerunners seemed to have touched base on every corner of the galaxy. Never seen a planet like this before though." Genesis was definitely strange. Some plants looked hard as rock but were brittle and spindly; the ground sometimes covered in a grassy moss, other times nothing but silver plates. Walking on Genesis felt like walking on the bottom of a lush artificial seabed. Its landscape punctuated by mammoth silver towers- the Forerunners never did make anything small.

"You guys ever see anything like this before?" Buck threw his head in the larger Spartans direction.

They exchanged a look before SPARTAN 087 responded, "Yeah, UNSCs got a base on a planet just like this. We were there a few years back."

"Oh yeah, which one?"

"Onyx."

Buck tilted his head to the side. Strange, he hadn't heard of it. Must have been some kind of classified that was well above his pay grade.

"Trevelyan?"Kelly offered, sensing his confusion.

Oh yeah, that he'd heard of, "Little birdie might have told me about that. Thought it was a training facility. What were you doing there, and don't say it's classified."

He could have sworn he heard a small laugh come out of her. She was definitely more relaxed than her teammates.

"That's some bird," Kelly looked to the darker armored Spartan next to her who gave a shrug, "It was a training facility but they came under attack and we were...sent to obtain any Forerunner tech; plus exfil any trainees we came across."

"Who were they training in a place like that?" Tanaka cut in. She had a way of getting right to the point.

The white armored Spartan turned her attention back to the field, "Now that is classified."

"So Spartans then?" he guessed.

She gave them a sideways look that read something like a 'don't even bother'.

"Ah come on we're-" he said gesturing between himself and her -"the only thing ONI trains and keeps all hush hush." There were too few IIs around now for them to have been trained on Onyx, especially if Blue Team had been there within the last few years- so it must have been the IIIs. He always did wonder where they came from.

Switching back to a more casual tone he took his chances and prodded further, "So, did you get the tech?"

Kelly simply nodded in return.

"And what about everyone else? You get them out?" he could visibly see her tense a fraction at that.

"Not all of them," her voice dropped. Her casual tone gone and replaced with a distant coldness.

"I'm sorry." Buck knew all too well how hard it was to deal with losing people. It was war and it happened, a lot, but there was a certain sadness that seemed to follow the older Spartans everywhere and Buck finally knew why. They lost too damn many brothers and sisters.

SPARTAN 087 took a minute to look him over then gave a short nod of thanks.

The four Spartans reemerged from bowels of the ship with enough weapons and armaments to supply several platoons. They set about gearing up. Buck noted that Locke had handed Kelly a shotgun and some ammo. He must have remembered that it was her preferred choice of weapon from their briefing.

Locke was trying to break down the fine wall between the two teams-he was good at that. When Buck joined Osiris he welcomed him and took his advice on how to handle being a team leader- and boy was he one hell of one. Locke even knew how to loosen up and have a few drinks with the team; show them that he was one of them at heart, even if he was an ONI spook.

The teams stayed behind cover but remained several feet apart as they checked over weapons and armor. They settled into a silence while they waited for Exuberant Witness to return.

Locke stepped into the divide, "Never got the chance to properly introduce ourselves."

Ever the diplomat Locke opted to start over and reintroduce Fireteam Osiris-this time, not as a treat. Blue Team turned on him. Standing in front of them Locke actually looked smaller than normal. He was just a big as any other Spartan, nearly 7ft tall in armor, but these guys met and cleared the 7ft mark- they definitely ate their wheaties.

"Spartan Locke acquisitions specialist and Leader of Fireteam Osiris." He waited a moment and continued motioning to the rest of his team, "That there is Vale our Sangheili linguist; Tanka, tech expert and resident tank," Vale gave a half wave lifting three digits off her rifle, while Tanaka greeted them with a nod.

Turning to the last member Locke said, "... and that's Buck ex ODST, he finally decided to grace the Spartan program with presence."

Buck gave a careless shrug,"Ya, made a jump one day and finally landed on something as stubborn as me-decided to become a Spartan."

That earned a few chuckles that quickly dissolved into silence. The members of Blue Team stood side by side, none of them moved or so much as looked at one another. They didn't seem to know what to do. Locke hadn't told them to identify themselves, he just offered them a friendly casual greeting. It was clear people never really afforded them this courtesy before.

The rough voice of SPARTAN 117 broke the silence, "Master Chief Petty Officer SPARTAN 117 team leader."

They followed suit, each member speaking for themselves, "Lieutenant Junior Grade SPARTAN 104 CQC specialist," Fred's deep baritone was followed by Kelly's smooth accent of the inner colonies, "Petty Officer SPARTAN 087 scout."

Linda's voice remained calm and measured as it had since their meeting, "Petty Officer SPARTAN 058 DM."

Each one spoke in a clipped automated tone that they probably used a hundred times before when identifying themselves in the battlefield. There was an awkward pause before Vale swooped in to pick up the conversation, "So where do we go once we find a way off this planet?"

"We need to get back to the UNSC, find Dr. Halsey. She knows Cortana, she can help." Chief insisted. Evidently, he had made up his mind.

"If we're looking for Halsey then we should go to Sanghelios," Buck offered.

Locke nodded thoughtfully, "Agreed, we should still have people there."

Blue Team regarded him with a curious look. He didn't leave them in suspense for long, "To get here we hopped a ride on the Guardian from Sanghelios, Dr. Halsey helped find it. Commander Palmer should be there too along with any other Infinity personnel."

SPARTAN 087 took a tentative step forward, "How is Halsey?"

"She was in with Palmer in the pelican that dropped us on the guardian…"Tanaka trailed off unsure of how to finish.

Blue Team turned their full attention to her, "...The Guardians pulse took out their bird; last we saw they were going down." The Commander's armor would lock and save her from the impact. Of the two, Palmer had the higher chance of survival and they all knew it.

Everyone in Blue Team gripped their weapons a little tighter at the news. The wall went back up and the two teams seemed to stand on either side of a massive chasm once more.

Fred spoke for them, "Where do we go once we get to Sanghelios? Where would they be?"

"The Sangheili aren't likely to bow to Cortana. If the Guardians attack them then the Arbiter and his people are likely to go to ground. Their people were very close with nature at one point, they'd return to it, give themselves an advantage." Vale said happy to relieve some of the tension, "I still have the coordinates for the encampment at Nuusra, the Arbiter likely went back there."

"Then we go to Sanghelios, get our people and go home," the Master Chief concluded. He had a way of making it seem so simple.

They all stood there a few beats unsure of what to say next. Left with nothing to do but wait Blue Team reverted to scanning their surroundings and checking, then rechecking their newly found weapons.

They stayed like this for several minutes before John spoke, "Blue-three, four get on that ridge. I want eyes on the rest of the valley. If Witness can't deliver we'll still need a ride out of here."

"Buck has a good eye, he could give them hand," Locke offered.

The Master Chief nodded in acceptance. The two leaders seemed to be trying to figure out how to work together. Locke respected the Master Chief- they all did, it was natural for him to be in charge- so Locke didn't try to take command of Blue Team. At the same time, John didn't seem to want to take charge of both teams either.

Buck started after them, "Come on Vale give me a spot," he said jerking his head in the sniper teams direction.

* * *

 **AN:** Thanks for reading and sticking with it!


	3. Hurry Up and Wait

**AN:** So this is a long chapter...again. Sorry about that but it has more action by the end of it. This chapter focuses a lot more on the relationship between the two teams and how they're kind of coming together. I gave Fred more screen time in this one, a bit self-indulgent on my part since he's my favorite Spartan. That being said this is the third part of a six-part rewrite. Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think. Any comments or critiques would be more than welcome.

For those who followed this story thank you it helps keep me writing.

* * *

 **1953 Hours, October 28, 2558 (Military Calendar)\**

 **Forerunner Planet Genesis, Nomos II System**

 **Function: Gateway to the Domain**

* * *

The ridge offered a much better view of the valley. Beyond the debris of the warship sat a small lake, its crystalline surface reflecting the blues and purples of the pale sky. Perched half a klick above their original position they could pick out various pieces of wreckage.

Buck gave a quick scan of their surroundings, "Got a fix on a Phantom, looks like 8- make that 9 klicks East from our position," he said over comms.

"What's left of one," Linda muttered following his gaze with her scope.

There was a small burst of static before Locke's voice cut through, "Anything else out there?"

"Not close by. I've got a smoke trail another 20 klicks to the SouthEast, but I can't see what it's coming from," Buck said.

A green acknowledgment light winked on his HUD, "Alright, dig in. Well hold here- keep an eye out for the monitor," the Master Chief's tone seemed slightly off to Buck; like he was irritated. Then again it's not like he knew the man very well to tell his moods.

The precise motion of SPARTAN 058 rolling her shoulder caught Bucks attention once again. It looked like she was trying to work a knot out of her back; whatever it was it must have been really bothering her for her to fidget. Since joining up with Blue Team he had noticed they all had taken some damage, parts of their armor were smattered with blood- red blood. There was a difference, blue only came from Covenant, scorch marks could come from stating too close to a dying Promethean, but red, that was human.

The movement seemed to have caught the other large Spartans attention too because he made a circle in the air with his two fingers: _turn around_. She did as instructed allowing Fred to take a look at her suit.

Buck and Vale watched as the other two Spartans carried a conversation with various taps and hand gestures. Fred gave the armor behind her shoulder blade a light tug earning, what seemed like a glare from his teammate.

Fred shook his head at her and let go with an audible sigh, "You have a deep cut, need to patch it and your suit. Must have come from one of those Crawlers that jumped you."

"Couldn't tell you at this point," she quipped.

Fred motioned her to take a seat on a nearby boulder. Linda placed herself so she could still keep a lookout while seated. Buck watched Fred climb up and situate himself behind her-despite his bulk he moved gracefully; never once faltering on the rocks uneven surface. Spartan 104 removed his helmet, clipping it to his hip, then withdrew two canisters and set them to the side.

Buck couldn't help but stare. He'd never seen any of Blue Team without full armor. To say that this man was pale was an understatement-all the time they spent in armor never helped Buck with his tan but he wasn't quite translucent like the man before him. A long smooth scar curled up from his forehead into his hairline, which stood a bit longer than regulation. Despite the shots of grey that ran throughout his thick black hair, he didn't look much younger than Buck.

Another pale scar tore through his left brow. He trailed the scar to its intersection with another set of marks that rounded the man's eyes. They were a piercing blue and were staring right back at him. Fred quirked an eyebrow at the older man. His gaze bore through his visor; expression neutral. Buck shifted uncomfortably under the other Spartans scrutiny. They remained there watching one another, he felt Vale move closer to his left.

Spartan 104 turned his attention back to his partner, slipping his fingers beneath her armor, he gave it a tug then administered the Biofoam.

Vale cleared her throat, "Can I ask you a question?" she said removing her own helmet. Her tan skin and auburn hair made the other Spartan seem almost alien in contrast. Maybe that's how civilians saw him now that he was a Spartan; alien.

Linda kept her attention on the valley while Fred focused on his task at hand. Once he finished he cast her a sideways glance, "Shoot."

She hesitated, picking her words carefully, "You outrank the Master Chief…" Fred paused to look her in the eye, "but he leads Blue Team?" Buck tensed slightly at this, unsure of how the Lieutenant would react. Vale was always curious, she was trying to get at something but he couldn't tell what yet.

Fred picked up the second canister, "Yes," he said pinning her with a stare that said 'get to the point.'

Vale met his eyes. While his were cold, hers held some warmth as she regarded him, "You're okay with that?" Fred's brow furrowed. Clearly, he wasn't expecting someone to ask his opinion on the matter.

"He's lead us since boot camp," he stated matter-of-factly.

Vale kept her attention on him, showing she was fully present- that was the best part about her. She always listened.

Fred continued his voice taciturn, "He's always lead Blue Team-he's always lead us."

Vale nodded thoughtfully at that, "us?"

"Spartans," he answered. A black tar-like substance spilled out of the canister onto Spartan 058s armor effectively sealing the tear.

"All Spartans?"

"Yes," this time it was Linda who answered, never turning from the valley.

Vale hummed then pressed on, "but now Commander Palmer leads the Spartans."

"Things change," he said giving Linda's armor a pat. She stood and went back to the edge of the cliff.

She quirked her head to the side, "Some people don't like change, so they choose to keep things as they are."

"Never had the luxury Ma'am," he grunted discarding the empty canisters.

"What if you did?" The question hung there a moment. Spartan 104 gave her a long look, then rose from his place and took one large step off the rock, planting himself directly in front of the red armored Spartan. It probably wasn't meant to be intimidating, but it was.

"Why?" he said searching her face.

She furrowed her brow fixing her eyes on his chest plate, " I'm just surprised the brass doesn't have anything to say about it."

Fred turned away from her donning his helmet, "They don't seem to mind... as long as we get the job done," he said offhand walking past her. The Lieutenant had clearly decided that the conversation was over.

Buck cut in over their personal channel, " _Vale, careful or you'll get a fist full of MJOLNIR_."

" _I'm just trying to see whether they know how strange it is that the Chief is leading them. He's clearly compromised,_ " she reasoned.

" _He's a damn hero, besides who's to say what they did was wrong?_ " Buck said a little too defensively.

She sighed, " _They're all are heroes Buck, and if the Lieutenant had been leading them they might not have gone AWOL. Maybe could've helped save some lives along the way. People died, lots of people._ "

He shook his head at her, " _Not likely, he could've pulled rank at any time and he didn't. Besides you said it yourself - they're family, they're all they've got left. Blue Team would more than die for one another._ "

" _I know and I don't judge them for it, but I think they're on autopilot. I was just trying to get him to talk it through-_ " She shook her head looking to the ground-" _The UNSC's letting them work themselves into a grave, and they know it._ "

" _They know the score. They aren't kids Vale,_ " Buck knew she was right, but pitying them would do no good and he had the distinct feeling that no member of Blue Team would find solace in it.

The red Spartan gave a short laugh, " _They never were_."

The pair turned their attention back to the blue Spartan who was watching them have their own conversation. A part of Buck wondered if he could hear them even though he knew how unlikely that was.

"Prometheans inbound," Linda's cool voice cut across comms.

They all dropped lining themselves along the ledge. Green acknowledgment lights blinked from the other four Spartans below.

SPARTAN 104 set out issuing commands,"058, Buck, pick your targets. Vale, call them. I'll watch your six."

"Shooter ready," Buck took aim and clicked off the safety, "Time for a little head shopping?"

"That's my favorite kind," Linda responded her voice a little lighter, "Target, Knight, 10 o'clock, 100 meters off."

Buck lined up his shot "On target, fire when ready."

Her shot tore through the air with a thunderous crack. The Promethean Knight's shield blossomed and popped as the round connected dead center in its head. The metallic faceplates gave way to expose the molten skull beneath. Buck took the second shot hitting it square between the eyes. With a shriek, the Knight dissolved into an amber ash.

At the loss of their leader, the Prometheans rushed towards the ruined ship. Several more shots rang out as Linda and Buck picked off the soldiers.

"Crawlers 3 o'clock, 30 meters out. They're trying to flank them down below," Vale called turning her rifle on the dog like machines. Buck moved to help her and the two fell into a steady rhythm systematically taking down their shields, then pooping them in the head. Together they worked like a well-oiled machine.

"They're teleporting, coming in at 12 - no wait 1-"Vale watched through her scope as soldiers phased in and out all around the ship - "they're jumping all over. Can't track them."

"Keep them pinned and push them back. We need to give our guys downstairs some breathing room," Spartan 104 ordered.

Below the four Spartans spread to make a semi-circle. With the ship at their back, they pushed forward in one wave moving from cover to cover as they contained the Prometheans to the center of the debris-laden field.

"Now they're just making this too easy," Buck mused as he lined up his next shot. With the Prometheans clustered together, it made it a hell of a lot easier to take them out.

A single Knight broke away from the crowd and took a shot at the sniper team with its incineration cannon. Spartans 087 and Tanaka broke from cover running straight for the Knight. The alien machine took its next shot but was too slow. Kelly shot it twice in its shelled back while Tanaka hammered it from the front with her assault rifle. The Knight howled as it dissolved into golden flakes. The pair tore off while the Master Chief and Locke laid down cover fire.

Tanaka abruptly turned to Kelly, "Behind you, move!"

A Crawler lunged at her, legs splayed ready to latch on and tear at her. Buck let loose a single shot hitting the Crawler in the belly sending it flying back down to the ground. He watched through his scope as Kelly gave him a nod then ran off with Tanaka. He lost track of them as they moved behind various pieces of the ruined ship.

He turned his attention back to the Crawler who was shaking off his last shot when a giant green boot crashed down on its head squishing it like a grape- orange molten slag splattered the ground.

Locke and Spartan 117 vaulted over a large beam then turned to take aim at the wave of Crawlers close behind.

"Watch their flank," Vale said turning to fire at the soldiers teleporting behind the Spartans below.

Buck took aim at the pit, "I'll give them a hand, 058 focus fire on any new incoming enemies," Linda's green light winked in acknowledgment.

A Knight Commander stepped out of a blue portal behind the two male Spartans below. Buck let out a series of shots causing the beetle like alien to stagger. His heart raced as it lifted an amber bladed arm ready to strike.

Buck took two more shots, but it did little against its shields, "Locke on your 6!"

Spartan Locke spun around catching its arm with one hand, while he shot at its belly with the other. Spartan 117 ran up the back of the Knight, took the silver faceplate in his armored fist and wrenched it from its shoulders like he was picking a daisy. The Knight twitched and sputtered before fading away with all the others.

Buck let out a long whistle over comms, "Damn Locke. Just think, that could've been you back on Meridian."

A small snicker came from his fellow sniper. So she had a sense of humor? He had a feeling they were going to get along well with Blue Team.

"You ever going to let that go Buck?" Locke said his voice smooth.

Buck took another shot, "Only once we get back and you buy us drinks"

Locke scoffed as he pinned a Crawler with his leg and unloaded into its chest, "Thought we decided you were buying? "

Bucks chuckled at that, "Tell you what, we all make it out of here you can I can split the bill."

Locke gave a warm laugh as he fell in step with the Master Chief, "Deal."

"More incoming. They're not stopping," Linda called out over TEAMCOMM.

Buck tilted his head so he could look through his scope. A wave of molten metal poured over the lush green of the valley. The scattered segments of the frigate were engulfed by the tide of Prometheans. The scene was punctuated with flashes of blue where Watchers phased in new Knights. There were too many, even with all their new found weapons. The Master Chief let loose two rockets from his SPNKr. The missiles connected making a sizable hole in the forward assault team. It filled almost immediately, like ants they scattered then pushed back together acting as one solid force. Without warning a Promethean soldier dropped in front of Buck and flew headfirst down the cliff.

"What the-"

He spun around and found Spartan 104 crushing the plated chest of a soldier with one foot. The Lieutenant stood looking out to the field below as the soldier struggled beneath him, clawing at his armored leg. Its limbs went rigid and dissolved as Vale popped it in the head with her DMR.

"We don't have enough cover up here Chief," Fred said shields faring gold with each hit from enemy fire.

The Master Chief's amber light blinked twice in response.

Fred's low even keel voice cut through the firefight, "Time to fall back."

They all rose and made their way back to the rest of their team. Linda took point while the Lieutenant picked up the rear. They moved swiftly, half running - half sliding down the side of the ridge. At the bottom, they sprinted back to the mouth of the ship. Spartan 117 and Locke worked together staggering their shots, one reloaded while the other unleashed hell on any Prometheans who dared step into their line of fire.

"Good to see you're keeping busy," Buck said throwing himself down next to Locke.

Kelly and Tanaka came barreling back into view followed by a wave of Prometheans. The white Spartans threw themselves into cover next to the Master Chief while they all provided cover fire.

The machines rushed them, forcing them to fall back further. They were cornered. With the ship at their back and the Prometheans closing in their options were limited. They could stand and fight or retreat into the frigate- being inside an unstable hull didn't seem like a great idea, fighting in one seemed worse.

"Where's the monitor?" Tanaka said, reloading.

Kelly spoke first, "Unknown-"

"Here I am!" Exuberant Witness floated into view. Her overly enthusiastic voice was music to Bucks' ears, "Apologies for the delay. I was assessing the structural integrity of your ship and-"

"Is it spaceworthy?" Locke interjected.

Fire from Promethean weapons thundered across the valley. They were advancing too fast. Knights and soldiers raced through the field of metal and scrap while Crawlers skittered along the beams protruding from the warship overhead.

"Yes, in fact, I believe-"

"Where is it?" Locke asked shooting down a group of Crawlers.

"Oh, about 175.4582 kilometers NorthWest from here," she chimed.

Buck didn't like the sound of that, "Hell of a long walk. How do we get there with these guys breathing down our neck?" The field was dense with enemies- they could probably shoot blind and still hit a target.

"We can use this systems grid! Your combat skins should be sufficient," The Prometheans bore down on them- they were so close Buck could see the waves of heat that radiated off their shells,"Though it does require a significant expenditure of energy and could-"

The Master Chief cut in, "Do it."

Their bodies were sucked away from the destroyed frigate- shields flickering. They tumbled past fields and superstructures. Everytime Buck regained his bearings he would be jerked in a new direction- thrown at a new angle. He'd catch glimpses of featherless birds and colossal mountains; of blue lights and silver walls. The twisting and turning came to a sudden stop as they dropped with a thud. Armored limbs clanked unceremoniously as they collided with one another.

Buck rolled from his back to find himself lying in a forest with tall grass. Sitting up he could see that everyone else had just as graceful of a landing- save for the Master Chief. Slowly they moved to untangle themselves from one another.

"Guess you always land on your feet, huh?" Buck mused looking up at the Chief.

Spartan 117 gave a small shrug, "It's harder to do when your falling planetside."

"I'll bet," Buck heaved himself upright and brushed himself off. He stood next to John looking at the pelican. It lay with its nose pushed into the dirt, smoke trailed from one of its thrusters- she'd definitely seen better days.

Exuberant leveled herself to meet their gaze, "Hurry humans, Cortana's Knights are not far behind."

They ran as a single unit closing the distance between themselves and the pelican with a few long strides. Scorch marks littered the hull.

Buck peered inside the empty ship, "Where's the crew?"

Vale squat down and grabbed the helmet of an ODST. She flipped it over examining the burn marks on the insides.

"Looks like someone lost their hat," Tanaka said solemnly.

There was nothing left of the soldier, it meant only one thing. Prometheans were here and they killed the crew. They were vaporized. Both teams bowed their head in a moment of silence for the lost crew.

The Master Chief was the first to speak, "087 get inside and take the wheel. See if she'll turn over. Tanaka give her a hand."

Both women gave a crisp nod and marched inside.

A pop of static came over comms before Linda spoke, "Prometheans are back. 12 o'clock, 10 meters out." Several shots rattled through the forest. Buck hadn't even noticed that she was gone. He followed the yellow friendly indicator on his motion sensor to locate her. She sat in the crux of two thick branches- her armor blended perfectly with its bark.

Spartan 117 looked to his surroundings, "We hold this line," he said pointing at the moss covered rocks before them, "nothing gets past us. Once they have the pelican ready we leave."

Everyone moved to take up position amongst the rocks. It was shallow cover. Buck pushed himself further into the dirt to keep his head from poking out. Exuberant drifted behind the pelican. Her glowing purple eye bobbed in place peeking over its wing.

The gravelly voice of 117 spoke over TEAMCOMM,"Locke you take point. On your singal, we'll open fire."

"Don't forget to pick me up," Linda called. Green acknowledgment lights winked across their HUD.

The sound of metal on dirt drifted closer. With each step the Prometheans joints clattered and hissed. Locke leveled his BR at the nearest soldier and opened fire. The rest followed suit releasing a torrent of bullets and plasma. The Prometheans returned fire taking cover behind the trees. Orange energy beams sailed overhead as bullets splintered metal and wood.

The pelicans' engines came to life in a whirl. Kelly patched in over comms, "She's good to go, but I still don't know how we'll get anywhere without a slipspace drive."

"I will open a portal for you! One that the Guardians used." Exuberant sprung from her cover and was hit with a stray; knocking her slightly off balance, "Oh my...How exciting!"

"That'll work. Everyone, load up. Now!" Spartan 117 barked.

They all piled into the ship, the Master Chief disappeared into the cockpit. Vale and Locke strapped in while both Spartan 104 and Buck remained at the rear door. They covered Spartan 058 as she leapt down from the tree and sprinted across the forest floor. The Prometheans began targeting their ship, melting and blackening its hull. The pelican lifted and began to drag itself away from the forest floor.

Spartan 117s voice broke over TEAMCOMM, "Keep running Spartan. We'll pick you up. Be prepared to jump."

The pelican flew onward past the edge of the cliff where the forest ended. Linda raced after it, Prometheans hot on her heels. Kelly swung the pelican around and Tanaka unloaded everything the ship had on the aliens.

Exuberant cheery voice came through the ship speakers, " Where will you be going?"

Spartan 087 turned the ship back around and hovered several feet from the cliff's edge. Linda's legs carried her beyond the forest line. She jumped with one powerful leap towards the bay doors. She fell short. Buck caught her forearm and hoisted her up into the ship. Fred walked to the door of the cockpit and banged his fist against it twice: _all clear_.

"Sanghelios" Locke replied.

The bay doors sealed behind them as Buck strapped in beside the Lieutenant. It was a tight fit. There wasn't much room with eight fully armored Spartans onboard.

"Ah, yes. 4th planet Urs-Fied-Joori system, 15,038m-"

"Exuberant."

"Oh! my apologies, opening the portal now. Farewell reclaimers and good luck!"

A blue vortex swallowed them whole. The Pelican shook violently. The emergency lights flooded the holding compartment, bathing them in a dark red. Bucks stomach flipped and spasmed with every drop of the pelican. Its metal whined in protest against the pull of the portal.

"We're not going to make it," Vale said white knuckling the safety bars at her side.

The Master Chief ducked through the cockpit door.

"We'll make it," he said grabbing onto weapon racks above: there were no seats left, he would have to stand. The ship heaved and fell, rattling as it tore through space. Everyone lurched forward as the pelican was thrown to the side.

Kelly's voice clicked over comms, "Brace yourselves, we're comin' in hot!"

* * *

 **AN:** Thanks for reading. Next stop Sanghelios!


	4. Took You Long Enough

**A/N: It's been a while but I finally got around to finishing this chapter. Can't wait to get next and give everyone some downtime around the campfire. Again thanks for reading. Comments and Critiques welcome (they keep me going) and sorry about spelling/ grammar, they'll be the death of me.**

* * *

 **2144 Hours, October 28, 2558 (Military Calendar)\**

 **Sangheili Homeworld** _ **Sanghelios**_ **, Urs System**

 **Nuusra, Sword of Sanghelios Base of Operations**

* * *

Small dome-shaped tents dotted the cliffs of Sanghelios, the only sign of life were the torches that marked their place among the rock.

"Where is she now Doctor?" the Arbiter's voice rumbled.

"Cortana, in theory, can be anywhere and everywhere," Doctor Halsey said in a clipped tone, "She has full control of the Domain, therefore she receives information from all Forerunner artifacts in the galaxy."

"If we could track her it would make things a hell of a lot easier, I'd rather not fly blind here Doc," Spartan Commander Palmer was bruised and battered, but she was standing- it reminded Thel the resilience of the human race.

"We cannot always have things the easy way, Commander."Halsey retorted. Palmer stood hands on her hips eyeing the smaller woman. There was a tension between the two that Thel did not care to explore, it was their matter to address.

Instead, he resolved to push for solutions, "What of the artifacts we showed you, have you found a way to make use of them?"

The doctor gazed up from her datapad a tired look in her eye, "Perhaps. With what you have provided I have been able to create a long-range tracking system that can access forerunner superluminal communications, with it I may be able to-"

The canvas of the tent drew back in a grand sweep drawing the attention of everyone present. Thel gazed at the young Sangheili warrior that presented herself, Terin 'Moram. She was every bit as imposing as her male counterparts. She stood taller than Thel himself with a thick ridge of muscle laced across her back; a sign of her early work as a laborer during their time in the Covenant before her skills as an engineer were put to use. Her head now bowed to the Arbiter, held keen and watchful eyes. She had proven to be an excellent engineer and fierce warrior, Thel was glad Mahkee had convinced him to let her stay.

Terin touched her fingers to her brow, "Forgiveness Arbiter. For my interruption. "

"There is no need, you bring news?" Thel clicked his mandibles in rapid succession twice to further emphasize his point.

Terin spoke, her head hanging low, "A human ship approaches."

The room fell silent, everyone was stunned. The Created had taken control of many bases on Sanghelios and Thel could only assume the same had happened to every other species in the galaxy; humans included. On the other hand, humans could be working with Cortana, they had created her. Thel did not like the thought of that, after fighting alongside the humans he liked to think that they had forged a small, yet not insignificant alliance. Either way this ship could be carrying Promethean soldiers, or worse humans sympathetic to their cause.

Commander Palmer broke the silence first, "Human? Are you sure?"

Terin turned to the tall woman indignant, "I am sure."

Doctor Halsey was next to speak, "What kind of ship is it?"

Arbiter watched as Terin eyed the smaller woman. She clearly did not know what to make of humans just yet, "The one you call Pelican."

"What of its origin?" Thel questioned, he would not take unnecessary chances.

"Unknown, its communications are down. We cannot hail them, but they are approaching to land."

The doctor briskly made her way from the tent brushing past Terin, the Commander on her heels.

Thel grasped the hilt of his energy sword and motioned for Terin to follow. Their gate allowed them to easily catch up to and overtake both the Commander and doctor.

The blue flame of the Pelicans thrusters flickered in the deep night sky as the dropship swung around extending its landing gear. Grains of sand pinged off Thel's golden scarab armor as the Pelican touched down. The human vessel was in bad shape. One thruster poured black smoke around a dying flame. The hull was dented and barely looked as if it were holding together.

Thel felt Terin as she drew close to his side while Mahkee approached along with a handful of their best warriors. Other stood off in the distance ready to strike. With the wave of his hand and a few clicks of his mandibles Thel directed two of the soldiers to the front of the craft and another two at either side of the Pelicans drop door.

He remained with Mahkee and Terin forward facing. The door dropped unceremoniously with a loud thunk. Thels red energy sword sparked to life as the rest of his team leveled their plasma rifles ready for whatever came next.

A moment passed before two heavily armored Spartans emerged. One Thel had not laid eyes on since the battle for the Ark. His eyes grew wide as he watched the green Spartan, the only human he truly considered a friend, approach looking worse for wear.

Next to him stood the man who had been tasked with his capture; Spartan Locke. When he and his fireteam first approached the Swords of Sanghelios Thel had been suspicious. They had planned his assassination and then asked for his help. Those thoughts quickly gave way to reason, he would not harbor old grievances and risk placing his own people in danger. He was a disciplined and honorable soldier and would not let his pride interfere. In the end, it proved to be the best course of action and Locke had proven to be a valuable ally thus far.

The two humans continued their approach. He could not tell whether these two Spartans were allies. From what Locke had divulged, he and his team were meant to bring back the greatest of their clan and his companions- by whatever means necessary. If they were in fact allies then all would be well, but if not-if Spartan Locke intended to turn in Spartan 117 to his superiors then what would he do? It was not so long ago that Thel had broken away from his leaders and denounced the Covenant. If 117 and is brethren felt they should leave, then Thel was sure that there was a good reason for their departure. Those choices are seldom easy and they require great strength, but they are made swiftly leaving you to cast all doubts aside and continue on your course, no matter where it takes you.

Doctor Halsey took several tentative steps towards the Spartans. She stopped just a few feet shy of them. Never taking her eyes off 117. Thel could see they knew one another. Then in her tired tone the doctor spoke, "Took you long enough."

There was no response as Spartan Locke stepped away towards Commander Palmer. Thel turned his attention back to the Pelican where the rest of fireteam Osiris filed out towards their leader. They were followed by three larger Spartans that moved towards 117 and for the second time that night Thel found himself stunned.

They were the Demons. The ones Thel and his brethren had fought for so long.

The Arbiters team tensed, while he knew no one would fire without his command, he was also acutely aware of the fact that they were on edge in the Spartans presence. One team was more than enough, now two stood on their sands. Some of them had never seen a Demon- no, Spartan before. Most of them believed that 117 was the last of his clan, even Thel believed this at one point; until he had his own personal run-in with one of these Spartans many years ago. Yet, here they stood all similar in size and stature as 117 and were, without a doubt, just as dangerous.

Both teams looked beaten and worn. Thel remained vigilant as the doctor inspected the Spartans. He noticed the tug that ghosted her lips, it was the closest he had ever seen her come to what humans called smiling.

Thel saw the tension on her face return as she looked up at the armored giants before her and turned to follow their gaze. Her eyes locked with his for a moment before the Arbiter looked to see what had caught her attention.

Spartan 117 and his clan stood motionless staring at him. Their faceplates gave away nothing, but their bodies did- they were just as on edge as Thel's team was. Looking at them now Thel was glad that he was no longer fighting them, that is people had a chance to rebuild no matter how small of a chance that was, even with the Created hunting them down.

Thel brought himself to his full height and dipped his golden plated head; a deep sign of acknowledgment. Spartan 117 returned the gesture, it was small but this spoke volumes to the Sangheili. Thel deactivated his energy sword holstering it; signaling his team to stand down.

He then turned his attention to Locke and his fireteam. Leaving Mahkee and Terin to join the others he ambled towards the Spartans, hoping to make his approach known. They were conversing and he did not wish to join them mid-conversation, still finding the way humans socialized awkward; especially when a new or unexpected party had been introduced.

The humans greeted Thel and his comrades by baring their teeth. Unlike the other Spartan clan, Osiris was willing to remove their headgear, it was just another small difference he noticed between the two tribes.

"Arbiter," Locke spoke looking him directly in the eye, it was something he couldn't help but respect about the man.

"Welcome, I see you were successful," Thel said gesturing to the other Spartan team.

Locke hummed and seemed to weigh his answer carefully, "To an extent."

Thel clicked his mandibles casting the man a wary look, "I trust you are on the same team now?"

"Yes, actually we are," Locke gave a small laugh yet he looked as though he was weighed down, "but we couldn't stop the Created."

"We were lucky enough to get Blue Team and get back alive," the Spartan in red interjected her tone empathetic. The Commander looked to them expectantly.

Locke gave her a strained smile before turning back to Thel, "How are the Swords of Sanghelios fairing?" He was diverting, something humans did often. He would have to press the matter later.

"Our attack on Sunion proved successful. We've gained ground, weapons, and resources but the attack from the Created has set us back. We took to the hills once the Guardian arrived," Thel motioned to the sun-dried canyons that encased them.

The Commander stood arms crossed, "We've been devising a way to reach the UNSC, ideally the Infinity. The doc's been trying to get some Forerunner tech to cooperate so that we can make contact. She believes the Infinity offers the 'greatest chance for survival' when taking on the Created."

"Of course she does," Buck said completed unsurprised. Apparently, the Commander was not the only one who held contempt for the doctor, though Thel felt like he was missing something.

Locke shot him a look, "It's not a bad plan if she can make contact, but it's going to take some work to get from here to the Infinity."

"The Arbiter might have a plan," the Commander looked to Thel maintaining an unreadable expression, "the Guardians arrival interrupted our initial plan to reach the shipyard."

"Planning on hitting back?" Buck spoke eagerly.

Thel looked out over the sheer cliff edge. The ocean crashed against rock somewhere far below them. The salty breeze brought with it memories of his childhood, the breaks between the training when he could look upon his homeworld and feel the sense of pride that he carried with him throughout all the bloodshed and carnage of the past 30 rotations, "Yes, we will not trade one tyrant for another."

Locke looked to Commander Palmer then the rest of his team, each gave him a reassuring smirk, "Well, count us in."

Thel could not hide his amusement, humans were almost as excited by battle as his own people were, "Very well, but let us not dwell on our battles now," he gave a dismissive wave with his large hand, "there will be plenty of fighting to come. For now, you must eat, rest, and attend to your armor. Tomorrow we will gather and devise our next steps."

Commander surveyed the team, who looked thankful for some respite, then gave him a smirk, "Sounds good."

Thel raised one large foot bringing it down to drag through the dirt. The thump and drag sounding like the beating of drums. He turned to the others and raised his foot, stomped and dragged it again. Terin joined him echoing his actions. One by one the Sangheili joined in until all attention was on the Arbiter. He raised a hand and the thumping slowed and died away. He raised his voice, it boomed as he spoke, "It has been a long battle, a long time since we've known peace."

The crowd drew in closer, "No longer do we fight for false Prophets. We fight for our freedom, our future ." Thel paused to survey the warriors before him. Each, he was sure, held a small amount of uncertainty within them, "We have lost many and the storm has yet to pass. But fear not brothers and sisters for we are Sangheili! We survive and endure with the blood of those who came before at our backs." Murmurs of approval rippled through the conclave.

"In our fight against the Covenant we have gained new allies and forged new alliances. Tonight we welcome our fellow warriors to celebrate in our success and honor those lost, for their fight is our fight and it is not yet over. We will continue to fight," Thel raised his fist to the sky, " for Sanghelios!" A hundred others followed suit their voices echoing through the canyons, their chants carried far across the cliff's edge. Thel leveled his gaze to meet 117's, "Come let us feast!"


End file.
